India’s vice-captain Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the final Test against England, but he’s staying positive and thankful. In a heartfelt message, Pant said he’s truly grateful for all the love and well-wishes, calling them a “source of strength” during his recovery. He also shared how much he’s looking forward to getting back on the field.
Rishabh Pant Ruled Out of Final Test but Remains Optimistic
Pant picked up a serious injury on the first day of the fourth Test in Manchester. In the 68th over, a fiery yorker from England pacer Chris Woakes struck him hard on the right foot, forcing him to leave the field.
Despite the painful blow, Pant showed incredible grit. He later returned to bat with what turned out to be a broken foot and still managed to score valuable runs, helping push India’s total to 358 with his trademark flair.
The 27-year-old Rishabh Pant didn’t take the gloves in the second innings and stayed in the dressing room due to the injury. In his absence, all-rounder Washington Sundar stepped up the batting order and played a brilliant knock, scoring an unbeaten 101 off 296 balls. His gritty innings, along with Ravindra Jadeja’s support, helped India pull off a memorable draw at Old Trafford.
Rishabh Pant Shared An Emotional Instagram Update
Pant later took to Instagram to share an update on his injury. In his post, he wrote: “Appreciate all the love and good wishes coming my way. It’s been a real source of strength. I will begin rehab once my fracture heals and I am slowly settling into the process. Staying patient, following routines and giving it my 100 per cent. Playing for the country has always been the proudest moment of my life. Can’t wait to be back doing what I love.”
🙌#RP17 pic.twitter.com/LlAZ7lJKDm
— Rishabh Pant (@RishabhPant17) July 28, 2025
A Knock to Remember: Fifty on One Foot
After getting hit on the foot, it was immediately clear that Rishabh Pant was in serious pain. His foot started swelling right away, and blood slowly trickled out when he took off his boot. The pain showed all over his face. At that point, he had scored 37 off 54 balls but couldn’t continue. He had to retire hurt and was taken off the field in a golf buggy.
But on Day 2, Rishabh Pant pulled off a surprise. Just before lunch, with India at 314 for 6, the left-hander walked back to the crease, catching everyone off guard. The crowd welcomed him with loud applause. In his dramatic return, Pant wasted no time showing his trademark power. He smashed a pull shot for a six, his 90th in Test cricket, putting him level with Virender Sehwag as India’s highest six-hitter in the format.
Read More
He then followed it up with a classy drive for four to bring up a brave half-century. However, his gritty knock ended at 54 off 75 balls when England pacer Jofra Archer bowled a stunning delivery that sent his off-stump flying.
India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir had nothing but high praise for Pant in the post-match press conference. He said, “One thing I want to say is that the character and the foundation of this team will be built on something that Rishabh did for the team and for the country as well.”
He added, “Any amount of praise is not enough for him. Especially batting with a broken foot. Not many people have done that in the past, and he has put his hand up, and that is why I say any amount of praise. I can sit here and talk about this for hours and hours. I think the generations to come forward will talk about this.”
Following Rishabh Pant’s injury, the BCCI named Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper-batter Narayan Jagadeesan as his replacement for the final Test of the thrilling series.
Rishabh Pant’s series may have ended early, but his performance was nothing short of remarkable. He finished with 479 runs in four matches and seven innings, averaging 68.42, including two centuries and three fifties.
India’s updated squad for fifth Test:
Shubman Gill (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj, Arshdeep Singh, N Jagadeesan (WK).
Read More
ALSO READ: ENG vs IND – “A Dream Come True”: Washington Sundar Reflects On First Test Hundred
